Google Rolls Out Expanded Text Ads To Improve CTR

Google AdWords are incorporating Expanded Text Ads. However, are we really ready for this change? Before discussing the effects of Expanded Text Ads to advertisers, we need to understand what and why of these Google text ads.

Expanded Text Ads: What are they?

As the name suggests, expanded text ads are two times bigger than current text ads. This change of ads is to maximize your performance and presence on mobile search results with a bigger headline and an extra long description.

These expanded text ads will be shown across desktop as well as mobile and will wrap automatically on the basis of the device size.

Google tested the Expanded Text ads in quarter two of 2016.

Why this change in text ads?

This is probably the biggest change to text ads as per Google ever since AdWords was launched more than a decade ago.

Since today’s world is highly mobile inclined, Google (from past several months) has begun to think about the look and working of AdWords ad. Well, this is probably because more than half of the trillions of searches conducted on Google per year are done through a mobile phone.

But what is the size of these Expanded Ads?

Technically speaking, these new form of ads are 47 percent bigger from what AdWords text ads today look like. This means these expanded ads will be 2 times bigger.

You can now create content and have a total of 140 characters of ad copy space to use. Well, that’s quite a difference as today the text ads only have a 25-35 limits.

Now you can use all those extra characters count and create emotional and eye-catchy ads that searchers can’t help but click on it.

Look of new Expanded Text Ads

Before and after of what the text ads look like on desktop and mobile:

Also, this is how Expanded Text Ads will probably look like in the AdWords interface:

Expansion of headlines

The length of the headline will now be bigger. Advertiser will now have two 30 character long headlines when Expanded Text Ads become available later this year.

As of now, advertisers are limited to a 25-character headline. This means the length of the headlines will soon increase by 140%.

Expansion of the description

As of now, advertisers are only limited to two 35-character description lines. After the change incorporation of Expanded Text Ads, advertisers will have one 80-character description line.

By we mean, descriptions will increase by 14%.

The changes in Display URLs

AdWords will extract the domain from the final URL automatically. This means advertisers can then add up to two lines to enhance the display URL by using up to 15 characters.

Will it effect CTR?

Definitely. All the more, the Expanded Text Ads will improve the CTR this is because more text means greater visibility. As per Google’s early reports, there is an increase of as much as 20 percent in CTR with Expanded Text Ads.

An increase in the count of characters of both description and headlines should result in more clicks.

When will you see this change?

Well, Google has made no official declaration of when all advertisers will have access to Expanded Text Ads. It is expected that Google will soon reveal more details regarding the same.

Prepare for Expanded Text Ads: What and how?

For this, you will have to raise your Quality Scores. These scores are one of the most important metrics in the AdWords account but it is going to even more crucial sooner or later.

Businesses that are at the top positions will take up the most valuable SERP real estate. This is especially for commerce-related queries. Anything below position 2 or 3, especially on mobile phones will make it irrelevant.

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Also, there is a lot of ad text optimization coming in the future. Therefore, it is important for you to make sure your text ads are all rewritten so that you can take maximum advantage of this new format.

When Google is giving you two times more space with Google Expanded Text Ads, you have to be ready to take the advantage.

There have been many changes this year in Google AdWords ads. One of the recent changes is SMS Ad Extension.

As an advertiser, how are you going to prepare for this change in Google AdWords Ads?

Sakshi is a content marketer during the day and a reader by night. She writes content sprinkled with a twisted imagination. She has done her graduation in psychology from Delhi University and has an insane love for history.